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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23233357">Right Here, Right Now</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/indecisive_strike/pseuds/indecisive_strike'>indecisive_strike</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Ghost (Sweden Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>And Aether takes full advantage, F/M, Fluff, Gender-neutral Reader, M/M, Probably the only cute thing I've written ever, Reader is easily flustered, Secret Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 12:47:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,635</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23233357</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/indecisive_strike/pseuds/indecisive_strike</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This is my other entry for the 2018 Ghost secret Santa for Tumblr user @of-devils-and-drawings. I'd recommend reading my other piece, Nothing Between Us, as well because it relates to the events referenced in this story, but it works alone as well.</p><p>Cute self insert for you and the Aether ghoul.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aether Ghoul | Omega Ghoul/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Right Here, Right Now</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>You stared out of the window as rain pounded against the stained glass. It was still possible to see through the faded colors but no one could ever make out more than abstract shapes that moved in the way fish swim beneath the waters’ surface. The reason that the rain interested you so much right now was that you were waiting for someone special to come home from the night’s ritual.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, you could see someone walking through the torrents just beyond the safety of the Church. As excited as you were, you were quiet when you ran to the door because most of the other people within the building were asleep and you had no desire to wake them up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Your relationship with the person, no, the </span>
  <em>
    <span>ghoul </span>
  </em>
  <span>outside was kept a secret from the others because you both feared that there would be some backlash considering how important he was. It hurt you both to stay quiet and rely on hushed meetings in the dark, but it was better than being apart. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A knock on the door broke through the wall of your thoughts and you quickly pulled the heavy wooden barricade open so that he could come inside. You were immediately pulled into a bear hug by someone incredibly strong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aether,” you hissed in response while returning the embrace, “you’re getting me wet!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t see you trying to get out of my arms, love,” he replied. “Besides, isn’t that the aim of the game?” Aether’s voice reflected the smirk that hid behind his mask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A blush burned across your face and you lightly slapped him on the back. “You..! You’re… You’re so annoying!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He laughed at how you struggled to find something to say and let you out of the trap of his arms. In truth, the two of you had never gotten the chance to do anything intimate together, but Aether always loved to tease you after he found out how easily you got flustered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you love me anyway,” Aether murmured into your ear before leading you into the direction of your room. You had never been in his quarters because humans weren’t allowed in the ghouls’ wing of the Church and their senses were so elevated that they would immediately sense your presence. Perhaps it would happen one day if things changed, but as of right now the two of you only met in your room. Most of the newer members had to share living spaces with others, but you had been a member of the Church for long enough that you had your own place, albeit a cozy one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I do, Aether. What about you isn’t to love?” It wasn’t a serious question, but he paused for a moment to think about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmmm… absolutely nothing,” he stated plainly, as if it were a fact written down in an encyclopedia. Both of you laughed before remembering where you were and trying to quiet down. A door began to creak open and you looked at each other before dashing down the hall so that you wouldn’t get caught.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was an angry muttering from the direction that you came from, but whoever it was made no attempt to pursue. It wouldn’t be very surprising if they were conducting their own illicit evening activity. The Church of the Infernal Lord was just that kind of place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It didn’t take long to get to your room from there and soon you were alone with Aether. He was still completely drenched from the rain he had to walk through to get here, but you didn’t mind because it made the fabric of his clothes cling to his muscles; one of his finest features, in your opinion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need to get out of this. I feel like a wet dog.” It was as if Aether had been reading your mind because the only thing better than a wet shirt was no shirt at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you going to change into then? Maybe I have some extra clothes,” you asked without thinking about the difference in your builds, but after he stared at you for a moment, the point came across. “Oh, right…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Relax, I won’t take it </span>
  <em>
    <span>all </span>
  </em>
  <span>off… unless you want me too.” You could feel your face heating up once again as he discarded his mask and began to unbutton his shirt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course not! But we could cuddle, you know, like couples do,” you replied with as much nonchalance as you could muster. Aether always made it hard for you to keep your cool, but part of you liked it that way. Most of the Church saw you as reserved and conservative, even prude, which was very rare, but you didn’t want to be subjected to the gossip that traveled through the corridors at lightning speed. These private moments seemed to keep you sane in a world where it was hard to relax, considering the tensions within the Church. You had no real opinions on the current Papa and whether or not he needed to be replaced as some others suggested, but the situation was difficult to ignore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aether pulled you out of your thoughts once again with a deep sigh. “That’s much better…” he mumbled to himself. The ghouls had stripped himself down to his boxers to get dry; even removing his mask, although that was more for your benefit than his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Agreed,” you replied and tugged on his hand to get him in bed. His fingers intertwined with yours as the two of you slipped under the covers so that he could warm up. Aether held you in his arms and as much as you loved the strong embrace, you couldn’t help but notice how much he was shivering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You had to fight his tight grip a bit to wiggle around, but you wanted this opportunity to look at his face since glimpses were so rare. “Are you okay?” The question felt somewhat loaded but that was most likely because it seemed strange for a human to ask a ghoul, especially one of his standing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just cold; that’s all,” Aether answered but his response didn’t seem nearly as carefree as before. You knew that something was up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don't want to pry but I think we both know there’s more to the story than that,” you said carefully. There wasn’t a real risk of him getting angry or anything like that but all ghouls tended to get defensive whenever someone asked them about what was going with their lives. It was generally seen as invasive because they had purposes to serve that should not be questioned. “Does it have something to do with tonight’s ritual?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He seemed to debate telling you what was on his mind for a minute but his love for you managed to out win the secrecy. “Not exactly… Papa Nihil pulled me and another ghoul aside after it. He wants us to help him with something and he was incredibly vague about it. It’s not like we have a real choice in the matter but I don’t really like what direction it seems to be heading in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It hurt to hear that Aether might be in some sort of dangerous conspiracy but he kept talking before you got a chance to ask for more information yourself. “I think it has something to do with his son. He wants us to meet him tomorrow so that we can talk about it more so I guess that I’ll find out more soon. Still, I hope that I’m wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, be safe. I know that I can't make you promise it, but I can’t stand the thought of you getting hurt.” Your face was now buried in his chest which made you hard to hear but you knew that he still heard you. You felt him nod, although he withheld his reply. It was a ghoul’s duty to serve the leaders, not their own or those of others.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you,” he whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aether’s tail curled around your leg and even if it didn’t do much, you knew it was because he wanted to have you closer to him. This was a difficult situation, but he was what mattered to you, not the outcome.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You wrapped your arms around him more tightly and he did the same for you. The two of you stayed there for an indefinite amount of time because it seemed like the flow of the world and its natural order just stopped when you were together. Both of you wished that you could remain like this forever, or at least whenever you wanted to, but that was not yet the will of the Infernal Lord, as it seemed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were no windows in your room, but Aether could tell that it was nearing his time to leave. His clothes had already dried overnight so he could put them on, but his movements were slow and deliberate so that you could get a nice show of everything that he had to offer. “I’ll miss you, love.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, I think I’ll manage,” you replied in a mock serious tone. Both of you laughed as he put on his mask and straightened up, but then it was time for him to slip out of the door as he always did and go back to his duties while you tended to your own. It was always a bittersweet moment, but one that you knew would happen again. You were able to take solace in the fact that Aether always returned to you, no matter if it was a good day or a bad one. That was the strength of your love.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p>
  <span>News traveled quickly in the Church; this was just a fact of life such as the Earth being round and gravity keeping everyone on it. However, Papa III’s death and speculations on how exactly it occurred must have made a record. Within an hour of Copia finding the body and storming to Nihil’s office, you had heard about what Aether and Dewdrop had supposedly done. You didn’t want to think about it, especially not that your lover was capable of such violence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A nagging thought had marked this day as a bad one for you, but you had no idea how terrible it was going to be. The entire evening was filled with tense anxiety, not just for you, but for everyone in the Church. This change was sudden and no one was sure of how exactly to cope. The only difference was that for you one of the people responsible was someone you cared for deeply.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You were still staring at your ceiling at some point past midnight when you heard a faint knocking on your door. There was no way to be sure that it was him but you pulled it open anyway and sure enough, there was Aether. He was no longer wearing the stained garments that half the Church claimed to see him in before, which was a relief. You immediately let him in and closed the door behind him before anyone saw.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One again, a million thoughts raced through your head, all clambering for your immediate attention, which was ironic considering that none of them seemed to last longer than a second. Did he really do it? Did Aether want to do it? Did taking someone else’s life, a human life, feel good to a ghoul?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aether could see the confusion and pain on your face, so he immediately removed his mask so that you could see his own. His eyes were reddened and dried tears still stained his face. It was so unusual to see Aether like this that he almost seemed like a new person, although you didn’t see him like that. He was still the ghoul that you loved, no matter what exactly had happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure that you heard about it by now,” Aether began. “Papa Emeritus the third is dead… and his own father forced me to kill him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You weren’t sure how exactly to reply, but you also couldn’t stand there like an idiot and say nothing. “I’m sorry, Aether. I… I’m not sure what I can do, but I want you to know that I don’t blame you or anything like that. You didn’t want to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wish that was the end of the story, dearest, but I’m afraid that it’s not.” New tears were forming in his eyes now and it broke your heart to see him like this. “Copia was so angry that he killed Nihil himself and then made Dewdrop and me his own ghouls.” You weren’t sure what exactly he meant by this, so Aether explained. “I’ll be going to all the rituals now, not just the ones where they need an extra person. I’ll be gone a lot because he doesn’t want to make things easy for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the gears in your head turned and reached the conclusion that you would see your lover a lot less in the future, you flung yourself into his arms and sobbed. “No! No, he can’t just take you away from me…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s going to and I can't stop him, love,” Aether said, his voice nearly breaking to a whimper. He pulled you onto the bed and placed the blanket around the two of you.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then I’ll just have to find a way to come with you,” you challenged. It was unlike you to be so defiant, but Aether was the most important thing in your life and you were fully prepared to fight for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You heard me. I’ll find any excuse to come to the rituals just so that I can see you there and help whenever things get hard.” Your voice had passed the doubts and moved on to conviction now, letting the world know that nothing could stop you. You wiped your tears away and gave Aether a reassuring look before closing your eyes to kiss him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I- Thank you, darling. You mean the world to me, you know that?” Aether’s normal air of playfulness was replaced by sincere devotion to you. Had it been under less dire circumstances, you would have enjoyed it much more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s funny because I think you </span>
  <em>
    <span>are </span>
  </em>
  <span>my world, Aether.” For once, he was the one left blushing after your compliment. You gently pushed him down on the bed and curled up at his side. He put his arms around you and gave you a gentle kiss on the forehead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both of you lay in a content silence for a moment until he spoke again. “I’m so glad that I have you, lovely. I think I’d be lost without you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You loved when he said such sweet things to you, especially when they mirrored your own thoughts so closely. The only way you could think of replying was another kiss, longer this time. Aether gladly returned it and pulled you closer to him. Your eyes were closed, but you could tell that his tail was happily swishing through the air from the little noises it made.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I promise you that we're going to make it through this,” you said with another dose of reassurance in your voice. Neither of you were used to you being the strong one in the relationship, but you could tell that Aether needed the security right now. Even if this wasn’t his fault there would be consequences for today’s events and there was no getting around it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The important thing was that you were here to be his rock, no matter if times were hard or if the world was ending. Aether loved you and you loved him, and there was nothing in the world that could break that bond, not even the Infernal Lord himself.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I have a writing blog where I take commissions and stuff, so please check it out if you liked this story! Comments are also super appreciated!</p><p>https://indecisive-strike.tumblr.com</p></blockquote></div></div>
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